Best free option
Fubo
Fubo hands you a full week of CMT free, the longest no-cost run of any service that carries it.
Start free trial →
You don't need a cable bill to keep watching CMT. Here's every way to stream it online, and how to do it for free.
Reviewed and updated October 2026 by our cord-cutting team · 6 options
If pop music has MTV, then country music has CMT, the biggest showcase of country music stars, videos, concerts, documentaries, and more. If you’re a cord-cutter wondering where to watch the channel without cable, then we’ve compiled a list of where to start.
CMT is available without cable on Fubo, DIRECTV, Philo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV + Entertainment Extra, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Stream, or Spectrum TV Choice.
The cheapest way to watch Cmt is Philo for $25/month.
The fastest ways to watch CMT without cable, at a glance
Fubo hands you a full week of CMT free, the longest no-cost run of any service that carries it.
Start free trial →
Philo is the cheapest place CMT exists, and it sits there next to MTV and Comedy Central, the rest of the Paramount entertainment cluster.
Get Philo →
YouTube TV carries CMT in the widest lineup here, which matters if the country habit extends to the broadcast networks and their live awards shows.
Get YouTube TV →
DIRECTV carries CMT live.
Start free trial →
Hulu + Live TV carries CMT live.
Start free trial →
Sling TV gets you CMT through its Entertainment Extra pack.
Get Sling TV →| Service | From | Free trial |
|---|---|---|
 Fubo |
$79.99/mo | 7 days |
 Philo |
$25/mo | 7 days |
 DIRECTV |
$89.99/mo | 5 days |
 Hulu + Live TV |
$89.99/mo | 3 days |
 YouTube TV |
$82.99/mo | 7 days |
 Sling TV + Entertainment Extra |
$51.99/mo incl. $6 pack |
None |
We routinely follow over a hundred live TV and streaming services in the US, closely monitoring their plans, features, and channel lineups. All of that work is on our cord-cutting hub.
Beyond this, we have been reviewing the best on streaming services since 2013, recommending highly-rated but little-known movies and shows: we find the gems that you haven't yet watched, that you will probably like.
Fubo is no longer just for sports. The live TV streaming service has become a staple in cord-cutters’ homes because it offers everything from major broadcast networks to entertainment channels like CMT. However, sports is still where it excels. Even after losing key channels like TNT and TruTV, Fubo still has plenty of regional sports networks and specialty sports channels. So if you happen to be a country music fan with an appreciation for sports (or at least live with someone who does), then it’s hard to go wrong with Fubo.
Fubo plans
At just $28/month, Philo is a budget-friendly live TV streaming service that carries plenty of lifestyle and entertainment channels. Among them are CMT, MTV, and VEVO for music lovers, and AHC, INSP, and MeTV for classic and traditional TV fans. It’s a worthwhile service as long as you don’t mind getting news and sports channels elsewhere.
Philo plans
You could say DirecTV Stream has it all: great DVR capability, crisp streaming quality, multiple simultaneous streams, on-the-go viewing, and an extensive selection of live channels. That includes CMT and other music networks like MTV, Revolt, and VH1. And if you wanted more channels, you can easily add them individually or through add-ons. Range and customization are where DirecTV Stream wins. That said, it’s hard to overlook the streamer’s sky-high price. DirecTV Stream is a nice option if you can afford it, but there are other services with similar channels (albeit less features) you can choose from.
DIRECTV plans
Hulu with Live TV’s features aren’t all that different from the competition, but its on-demand catalog gives it an edge. The Disney+ subscription that comes bundled with it gives you access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar films. Meanwhile, Hulu on-demand boasts an award-winning catalog of originals, including shows like It’s All Country and documentaries starring the likes of Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton. It also has Country Music Award shows from previous years (Prime Video has the rights now). If you want solid on-demand shows paired with your CMT viewing, Hulu is likely the way to go.
Hulu + Live TV plans
Our breakdown of Hulu + Live TV →
Perhaps more than any other service in this list, YouTube TV is the easiest and most familiar to use. The channel guide, DVR control options, and interface itself will feel familiar and intuitive even for beginner cord-cutters. The service has channels ranging from local to national, sports to entertainment (including CMT, MTV, and VH1). But for good measure, it also offers add-ons to elevate your viewing experience. The only significant downsides to YouTube TV are its high price and limited on-demand libary.
YouTube TV plans
Yes, but it costs extra. CMT isn't in Sling TV's base lineup, so a plan on its own won't get you it. You need the Entertainment Extra pack, $6/mo on top of any Sling base plan, which puts the real cost at $51.99/mo once you add it to the cheapest $45.99 plan. That's still the second-cheapest way to watch CMT on this list.
Philo is still the cheapest way to watch CMT live, but if you’re looking for a service that’s both affordable and wide-ranging, Sling is your best bet. The streamer has two base plans, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, both of which cost $46/month. Each of them has exclusive features (only Sling Blue, for instance, offers local channels), but both enjoy a stacked lineup filled with news, sports, and entertainment channels. CMT only comes with the Entertainment Extra, however, so you’ll have to pay an additional $6/month. But you do get other channels with that, including MTV and Revolt for more music, and FETV for good old Westerns.
Sling TV plans
The pack isn't just CMT. Entertainment Extra also unlocks MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, TV Land, so it's better value if you'd watch a few of those too. See every Sling Extra explained.
The honest way to watch CMT for free is a free trial, and the trick is not to spend them one at a time. Start one, then start the next when it ends, and you can string together a few weeks of free live TV back to back, usually enough to cover a tournament or a playoff run without paying for a month.
CMT and the US services that carry it are geo-locked to the United States, so your login stops working the moment you leave the country. A VPN fixes that: connect to a US server and the service sees a US address again. The catch is that streaming platforms actively block most VPN traffic, so the VPN you pick matters far more than the service does. These three reliably get back in:
A huge US server network (thousands of IPs across 15-plus cities) with SmartPlay DNS baked into every server, so streaming just works without extra setup. The best value of the top tier on a two-year plan.
Best for streaming CMT with: Hulu + Live TV, Philo
Get NordVPN →The budget pick, and the one to get if the whole household travels: it allows unlimited simultaneous devices on one account, plus a Smart DNS for TVs. Reliable with the on-demand and lifestyle services.
Best for streaming CMT with: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Philo
Get Surfshark →Whichever you pick, connect to a US city first, then sign in to CMT or the service that carries it as normal. Choose a VPN with a money-back window so you can confirm it un-blocks CMT before you commit.
No. CMT is a cable channel and doesn't broadcast over the air, so an antenna can't pick it up. An antenna only gets the free broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, The CW), which pair nicely with one of the services above; check which of those reach your address here.
Bad news greeted the network at the start of the year—parent company Paramount announced that it was cancelling the CMT Awards this year, much to the dismay of country music fans. For what it's worth, you can still access past CMT Awards shows on Paramount+.
Speaking of Paramount+, if the streaming options above are out of your budget, you can actually watch CMT programs on Paramount+ for just $8/month. The platform carries episodes of CMT Crossroads, Campfire Sessions, and The Last Cowboy on-demand. You can also watch spin-off channel CMT Equal Play on Pluto TV for free.
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Four criteria, each scored out of 10. The overall score is their weighted average: content 50%, value 20%, apps 20%, streaming quality 10%.
Value for money
0The most expensive service of its kind.
10The cheapest service of its kind, with full content.
Content quality
0None of the 20 most-watched cable channels, or nothing from our recommended list.
10All 20 channels, or the deepest catalog of titles we recommend.
Apps and devices
0A one-star app that runs on none of the 12 major devices.
10Five-star apps on all 12 major devices.
Streaming quality
0Below 720p.
104K on the plan we price.